So it is finally time for us to leave Tonga. Connolly and I will be departing on Sea Monkey from Vava’u today, Monday 4th November, for the sail of approximately 1300 nm down to New Zealand. I am happy and excited to be getting out sailing on the ocean again.

We have the option of stopping along the way at Minerva reef. It is an atoll like reef in the middle of the ocean but with no islands and is about 400 nm from here. We can enter through a pass in the reef and anchor inside protected from the ocean waves. Whether we do stop or not depends on the weather when we arrive near there and also if we want to pause due to the weather forecast for the rest of the passage south to NZ. If it looks like a good weather opportunity to get all the way down to NZ we will just keep going.

The last few days have been busy with working on servicing, and preparing Sea Monkey, checking out, buying our last provisions and saying goodbye to the friends we have made here. I have dug out and aired my warmer clothes and foul weather gear as I am expecting some much cooler weather as we head south out of the tropics.

I will try to keep sending some brief updates and positions every so often so you can track us along the way. The start of the passage is looking like a few days of quite light winds and it is a nice sunny morning today.

Phil